Dispensing head connectable to the valve stem of an aerosol dispenser



July 2, 1963 -J. R. FOCHT 3,096,002

DISPENSING HEAD CONNECTABLE TO THE VALVE STEM OF AN AEROSOL DISPENSER Filed Sept. 30, 1960 IN V EN TOR. John f/c/zardfcbff BY 0M 0770/ may.

United. States Patent DISPENSING HEAD CONNECTABLE TG THE VALVE STEM 0F AN AEROSOL DISPENSER John Richard Focht, Yonkers, N.Y., assignor to Precision Valve Corporation, Yonkers, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 59,544 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-394) This invention is a dispenser head adapted to be as sociated with an aerosol dispenser having a tubular valve stem which, when depressed, results in the discharge of the material from the dispenser through said hollow valve stem. Such an aerosol dispenser is exemplified by Patent No. 2,631,814, issued March 17, 1953, Valve Mechanism for Dispensing Gases and Liquids Under Pressure, Robert H. Abplanalp. Such an aerosol dispenser of this general character generally utilizes a cap or button for depressing the valve stem and for discharging the material passing therethrough in the desired direction.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a dispenser head adapted to be associated with the valve stem in such manner that, when the head is depressed, it will function through leverage, as hereinafter described, to depress the valve stem through a leverage action which permits this operation to be carried out with a minimum of applied pressure.

More particularly the invention is directed to a dispensing head wherein the head constitutes in fact a lever, fulcrumed on the mounting cup of the dispensing package and having a socket in which the free end of the valve stem is seated. From this socket an outlet passage extends to a spout or other outlet from which the material is discharged.

An important feature of this invention resides in the fact that the lever-like dispensing head is actually fulcrumed directly on the mounting cup, preferably in the crimp by which the mounting cup is mounted on the container portion of the dispenser. This feature obviates the necessity of separate and independent means supported on the mounting cup to provide the fulcrum in which the dispensing head finds its fulcrum.

Features of the invention, other than those adveited to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and appended claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a dispenser head embodying the present invention showing the manner in which the same is operatively associated with the container of an aerosol dispenser. Said view shows the head in non-dispensing position.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the dispenser head.

FIG. 3 is an elevation of said head as viewed from the right hand side of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, but showing the head in dispensing position.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an aerosol container which may be of any suitable material and of any desired shape, but, for the purpose of this description, this container will be referred to as a can. A can of this character is generally provided at its top with a filling opening closed by a so-called mounting cup 2 held in place by crimping the lateral wall of the cup laterally as shown at 3, so that the crimp firmly and permanently locks the mounting cup to the can and simultaneously forms a hermetic seal between the cup and the can.

The mounting cup is provided with a boss 4 in which 3,0%,0fl2 Patented July 2, 1963 is mounted a valve of any appropriate kind, having a tubular valve stem 5 projecting through the top of the boss. When the valve stem is depressed, the valve is opened and material within the can flows, under the pressure of the propellant in such can, through the valve stem to be discharged from the upper free end thereof.

The structure thus far described is conventional and may be varied, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, without departing from this invention, provided, however, that said mounting cup, per se, is provided with an abutment, e.g., such as that formed by the crimp 3 which will serve as a fulcrum for a lever.

The dispensing head of this invention comprises a body member 6 in the form of a lever having at one side thereof a toe 7 adapted to seat against the abutment formed by the crimp 3. This body member extends transversely or diametrically across the mounting cup 2 and is provided on its under side with a boss 8 in which is formed a socket 9 to receive the upper end of the valve stem 5. Within said body member is formed a discharge passage 10 leaving through a spout 11 and material flowing from the valve stem '5 may be discharged therethrough. This spout 11 may be long or short and of any desired shape, so long as it serves to localize the discharge of the material.

At .the opposite side of the spout from the toe 7, the body member is provided with a platform 12 on which pressure may be exerted to pivotally move the lever on the fulcrum of its toe 7. This platform has a depending reinforcing skirt 13 which projects downwardly into the cup as clearly shown in FIG. 1 and said skirt preferably extends entirely about the periphery of the body member below the platform 12. The upper surface of the platform may be ribbed, as shown at 14, or otherwise configurated, so that a finger bearing on the platform will not readily slip therefrom.

The platform structure of the head of this invention is the preferred form. However, if a relatively long spout is employed, as shown in the accompanying drawings, lateral pressure against the spout in the direction indicated by the arrow a in FIG. 1 will result in tilting of the head and the dispensing of the material in lieu of pressure on the platform for this pressure.

In FIG. 1 the dispenser head is shown in the position which it occupies when the valve is closed with the valve stem in its uppermost position. To unseal said valve for the purpose of discharging material from the can 1, downward pressure is applied to the platform 12 with the result that it is moved from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position in FIG. 4, as indicated by the arrow in the latter figure. By virtue of this movement, the valve stem is depressed and material flowing from the can through the valve stem is discharged through the passage 19 of the spout to be dispensed therefrom.

As soon as pressure on the platform 12 is released, the spring with which an aerosol valve is generally equipped, together with the pressure of the propellant in the can, will immediately return the dispenser head from the position of FIG. 4 to the position of FIG. 1 and the dispensing operation will cease.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the dispenser head of this invention operates in efiect after the manner of a lever of the second class, fulcrumed at the abutment 3, with the entire transverse width of the body member serving as the power arm and the boss 9 in which the valve stem is seated serving as the point of applied work. The leverage thus provided permits of the depressing of the valve stem through the mini mum of applied force on the platform 12 and serves to provide nice control of the dispensing operation in a simple and efiicient manner.

The head of this invention may be manufactured by conventional injection molding procedure in an economical and efl'icient manner.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispenser head for controlling the dispensing of material from an aerosol container with a filling opening permanently closed by a mounting cap provided with an interior horizontally dispose-d recess and on which cup is supported an outlet valve having a tubular valve stem, comprising: a one-piece lever of plastic material provided intermediate its ends with an integral socket to embrace the tubular valve stem of the container to thereby serve as a support for the lever on the container, said lever also having at one of its ends an integral outwardly extending fulcrum toe adapted to engage in said recess of the mounting cup as the fulcrum of pivotal movement of the lever, and a liquid-discharge outlet also integral References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,569,975 Cone Oct. 2, 1951 2,686,081 Cooksley Aug. 10, 1954 2,735,590 Ayres Feb. 21, 1956 2,750,081 Campbell June 21, 1956 2,772,819 Poarch et a1. Dec. 4, 1956 2,837,375 Eifordet al June 3, 1958 2,856,104- Spiess et a1. Oct. 14, 1958 2,921,722 Focht Jan. 19, 1960 2,932,434 Abplanalp Apr. 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 303,972 Switzerland Mar. 1, 1955 

1. A DISPENSER HEAD FOR CONTROLLING THE DISPENSING OF MATERIAL FROM AN AEROSOL CONTAINER WITH A FILLING OPENING PERMANENTLY CLOSED BY A MOUNTING CAP PROVIDED WITH AN INTERIOR HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED RECESS AND ON WHICH CAP IS SUPPORTED AN OUTLET VALVE HAVING A TUBULAR VALVE STEM, COMPRISING: A ONE-PIECE LEVER OF PLASTIC MATERIAL PROVIDED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS WITH AN INTEGRAL SOCKET TO EMBRACE THE TUBULAR VALVE STEM OF THE CONTAINER, SAID LEVERL AS A SUPPORT FOR THE LEVER ON THE CONTAINER, SAID LEVER ALSO HAVING AT ONE OF ITS ENDS AN INTEGRAL OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FULCRUM TOE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE IN SAID RECESS OF THE MOUNTING CUP AS THE FULCRUM OF PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE LEVER, AND A LIQUID-DISCHARGE OUTLET ALSO INTEGRAL WITH SAID LEVER, SAID OUTLET COMMUNICATING WITH THE SOCKET OF THE LEVER. 